CLEARWATER, Fla. --- On the final day of play in the USF Invitational in Clearwater, Fla., the Chattanooga Mocs softball team racked up a season-high 16 hits during an 11-6 victory over Buffalo at the Eddie C. Moore Softball Complex on Sunday morning.

Chattanooga improves its 2019 record to 21-7 and has now completed the non-conference tournament slate. Buffalo falls to 3-19 this season.
 
BOX SCORE » Chattanooga 11, Buffalo 6
Chattanooga opened up the game with two runs on three hits, marking the 13^th time this season the team has scored in the first, to take an early 2-0 lead.

Back-to-back singles from Hayleigh Weissenbach and Aly Walker with one out set up an Emma Sturdivant RBI knock down the line in right to bring in the first run. Halie Williamson followed with a sacrifice fly to center four pitches later for the inning's second run.

Buffalo responded in a big way off UTC starting pitcher Heidi Hall in the bottom of the first. The Bulls tallied four runs on four hits including two doubles and a homerun to take a 4-2 lead. Allison Swinford entered in relief with two outs and escaped a bases loaded jam unharmed.

Buffalo continued its scoring in the home half of the second with two runs, both unearned, on the help of two hits to push its lead to 6-2.

Chattanooga shook off the turbulent defensive inning with a seven run, seven hit top of the third to pull ahead 9-6. Buffalo committed one error in the inning that led to three of the recorded as unearned.

Walker and Sturdivant started the explosive frame with back-to-back singles before Williamson roped an RBI double to left center, scoring Walker and advancing Sturdivant to third. Amanda Beltran belted a two-RBI down the line in left to clear the bases and pull UTC within one at 6-5.

Singles from Morgan Kazerooni and Alyssa Coppinger loaded the bases before Coltharp tied the game, 6-6, on a four-pitch walk. After a fielder's choice prevented the go-ahead run to score, Walker brought two runners in after reaching on an error.

Sturdivant added another RBI single to complete the seven-run inning and bring the advantage to three, 9-6. She would add another RBI single in the fifth before Coltharp added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to amount the 11-6 lead.

The game was called with one out and a runner on first in the bottom of the seventh right at 12 p.m., due to travel time limits. Stats from the inning will not be counted towards the final count.

Swinford (5-2) earned the pitching victory after tossing 5.2 innings of relief work. She scattered six hits while allowing two runs (none earned) and striking out four.

Chattanooga smacked a season-high 16 hits including four doubles and a triple while stranding nine.
 
Notable Performances: Emma Sturdivant (4-for-4, 3 RBI); Hayleigh Weissenbach (2-for-5, 3B, 3 R); Allison Swinford (W, 5.2 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 4 K); Emily Coltharp (1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI); Devan Brown (2-for-4, 2B)

CHATTANOOGA NOTABLES
- Chattanooga improves to 21-7 this season… concludes non-conference tournament portion of schedule… opens SoCon play on Saturday.
- Emily Coltharp went 1-for-3 with a double, 2 RBI and a run scored … extends hitting streak to six games… has scored 1+ run in last six games.
- Devan Brown finished 2-for-4 with a double… third-straight multi-hit game… 6-for-10 in last 10 AB… hitting .296 (16-for-54) with 9 RBI for the season.
- Emma Sturdivant went a perfect 4-for-4 with 3 RBI… eight multi-hit games this season… second four-hit game.

UP NEXT
Chattanooga opens up Southern Conference play next weekend (Mar. 23-24) with a three-game series at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. All three games will be streamed LIVE on the SoCon Digital Network. Links can be found on the schedule page.

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